Traversing mechanism for twin stereotype plate casting machines



Dec. 29, 1931. H. A. w. WOOD TRAVERSING MECHANISM FGR TWIN STEREOTYPEPLATE CASTING MACHINES Original Filed Sept. 10, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet AmF, M

Dec. 29, 1931. w, WOOD 1,838,602

TRAVERSING MECHANISM FOR TWIN STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTING MACHINES Dec. 29,1931. H. A. w. WOOD I 1,838,602.

TRAVERSING MECHANISM FOR TWIN STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTING MACHINES OriginalFiled Sept. 10, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet Z5 pzuzr Wf/A 756 Q mwn r HENRY A.WISE woon, on NEW Y RK, N. a ASSIG-NOR r Patented Dec. 29, 1931" UNITEDSTATES PATENT OHIN'ERY CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OFVIRGINIA TRAVERSIN'G, MncHANIsi/r FOR Twin srnnno'ryrn PLATE CASTINGMACHINES Application filed September 10, 192 m Nb. isaeasfneiiew aSeptember 27;1929,

This invention relates to a stereotype plant or machine in whichstereotype plates "are cast in two or moreboXes 'or molds and finishedin a single finishing machine which moves totake care of the products ofall the casting machines. i i

The principal objectof the invention isto provide an automatictraversing device for a finishing machine in which the machine will movefrom one position to another in a time p less than that required tofinish; the plates, so that it will be in its delivering position beforethe finishing operation isgcompleted and the operator can be there readyto assist in the discharge of the plate and will not have to be theremerely at the" time the machine stops moving laterally; also to'providemeans connected with the shaving shaft for traversing the shavingmachine, and means for throwing the traversing means out ofgearautomatioally at the desired times to secureithe above mentioned result;and, to provide means whereby the machine can be started convenientlyfrom either side by hand and will then stop automatically at the otherside with the shaving shaft still running. 7 Otherobjects and advantagesof the inventionwill appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be hadto the accompanying drawings in'which Fig 1 is aplan of a casting and finishing plant of the twin type showinga'preferredj means of applying this invention thereto, the finishingmachine itself being indicated only in dotted lines to show one of its,positions; p r

Fig 2 is a central longitudinal vertical sectional view through thefinishing machine showing one of the casting machines in eleva tion;

Fig. 3 is anend view of the finishing machine i 4 is aside view 'ofotheend' of the fin! .v ishing machinc;"

a Fig. 5 is "a plan of the endof the finishing machine; and r Fig. 6 isa plan of the operating rack shown in amodifiedformQ I V 7 As stated,the present inventionrelates tofa plantin which a single finishingmachine 1O is'mount'ed to swing or otherwisemove so as to take care ofthe product of two or more casting machines 11.," These are shownasreceiving metal from a pair of pumpsl2'in a melting pot 13, butthat isimmaterial.

I have not illustrated or described anypar tioular form of casting boxas this machine is intende'dito be used withgany ordinary kind, but Ihave indicated a well known formfor convenience. i a f The two castingmachine frames are mounted in fixed position as shown here, with theircentral lines converging to a point, about which point ;the finishinmachine swings to receivethe products rom them alternatelyfand finishthem. lnaccordance with the present invention, thewhole machine is runfrom one motor, but the traversing operation is completed before thefinishing operation The finishingmachine, therefore, comes to rest inline with the empty casting boxwhilethe shaving shaft and trimmers arestill operating. This permits the operatoiy'before the finishingoperation has been completed, to go from the point at which he startsthe machine to the far end of the machine and be ready to remove theplate. a

The. finishing machine comprises a frame 10 mounted on avertical shaftor stud 16 about which it can swing. It has a concen- 'tric track 17 onwhich a pair of rollers 18.0n

WOOD NEWSPAPER MA- 1 tary trimming saw or saws 22. The saws arerotatable bodily about the shaving shaft 21 of the finishing apparatus.On the end of the shavingfshaft is a worm gear 23, which is driven vbysuitable gearing from a shaft 24. To this shaft is fixed one of thetrain of gears from'themotortothe planetary saw. The shaft 24 has apinion 25 on the end which drives a spur gear on which isfixed a bevelgear 26. Thisbevel gear meshes'with two op! posite bevel gears 27'either one of which can be. connected by a sliding clutch 28 with .avertical shaft 29 on which they are freely machine but on the sameshaft.

mounted. This shaft 29 is mounted in brackets 30 on the finishingmachine, and is pro vided with a pinion 31 at the bottom meshing withthe rack 19. It will be obvious that the frame 10 will swing about thecenter 16 in accordance with the direction of rotation of the shaft 29as controlled by the clutch.

This clutch is controlled by a clutch lever 33, which can be operatedfrom either side by handles 34. Each handle is on a vertical rock shaft35. This shaft has arms 36 operating a shifter 37 on a horizontal rod 38connected with the ends of the two sets of arms 36 at the opposite sidesof the machine. The operation of either of these handles 34 will swingthe clutch lever 33 on its pivot 39 and throw the clutch one way or theother.

The clutch lever is provided with a toe 40 adapted to engage one of apair of fixed stops 41 at the ends of its traverse, these stops beinglocated on the track. This constitutes the clutch operating mechanism.

The clutch mechanism is interlocked with a pair of handles 43 on the twosides of the They have projections 44 adapted to engage projections 45mounted on the arms 36 or otherwise c011- nected with the clutchoperating mechanism. These are arranged so that the clutch cannot beengaged when the handles 43 are in the position shown in Fig. 4; Theyhave to be raised to allow the clutch to be brought out of neutralposition.

The starting of the motor is accomplished through aswitch 46 which isoperated from the bell crank operating lever 33 through a connection 47thereon. The stopping of the motor at the end of the finishing operationis accomplished by a similar switch 48 operated by a pin 49 on the wormwheel 23 of the shaving shaft.

In Fig. 6, I have shown the rack as consisting of a chain 50 stretchedtaut on a curved surface 51 and engaged by a sprocket wheel 52 which Iregard as the equivalent of the rack and pinion shown in the otherfigures.

In the operation of the device, assuming the parts to be in the positionshown in Fig. l, with the left-hand box just having delivered itscasting to the finishing machine, the two handles 43 are lifted by theoperator stationed at the left to avoid interference of the projections44 and 45. Then the handle 34, which is on the outer side convenient tothe operator, is turned to throw the clutch in. and close the startingswitch 46. This, of course, starts the motor 20 with the clutch in sothat the first. part of the operation will turn the shaving shaft andthe tail cutter, and also at the same time swing the frame 10 about itspivot clue to the rolling of the pinion 31 along the rack 19. .Now whenthe shaving device has turned to a position in alignment with the othercasting box, the

stop 41 at that time will be engaged by the toe 40 and willautomatically turn the clutch to neutral position. The shaft 21 willcontinue to operate to complete the finishing operation, however. Theattendant has time to get over into the proper position to take out theplate or receive it and place it in the cooling saddle 53 or remove itfrom the ma chine. Then he goes to the opposite side of the machine tostart it again in the same way. It will be understood, of course, thatduring this period the plates are being cast and cooled in the other boxready to be delivered to the machine before it starts back. After thefinishing machine stops in its second position, the levers 43 are turneddown so that the machine cannot be started accidentally or by any onemerely turning one of the handles 34.

This invention cconomizes in the first cost of a plant because onefinishing machine can take care of the product of two casting boxes onaccount of the delay necessitated by the cooling of the plates. Itprovides automatic and efiicient means for traversing the finishingmechanism in such a way that it will come to rest as a whole before thefinishing or shaving shaft has completed its entire operation, thusfurnishing the advantages above mentioned.

Although I have illustrated and described only one form of the inventionI am aware of the fact that changes can be made therein by any personskilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention asexpressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to theexact form shown, but what I do claim is 1. The combination with asingle movable finishing machine and a plurality of casting devicesco-operating therewith, of means for moving the finishing machine from aposition in alignment with one casting device to a position inaliginnent with another and stopping it there, and means for continuingthe operation of the finishing mechanism afterwards.

2. The combination with two casting devices arranged with theirlongitudinal axes intersecting, of a finishing machine pivoted to swingabout the line of intersection as an axis, means for traversing thefinishing mechanism through the are from one casting device to theother, and means for automatically stopping the traversing mechanismbefore the finishing operation is completed.

3. The combination with a pair of casting devices located with theirlongitudinal axes intersecting, of a finishing machine pivoted to swingon the line of intersection of said axes from a position in line withone casting device to a position in alignment with the other, a motorfor operatingthe finishing mechanism on the finishing machine, meansoperated by'said motor for traversing the finishing machine from oneposition to the,

chine connected with the motor to be operatedthereby, a traversingdevice for the finishing machine, a clutch connection for throwing thetraversing device in and out of operation and reversing it, and meansfor throwing the clutch into neutral position before the shaving shafthas completed its'entire revolution, so that the finishing machine'willbe in its final delivering position before the finishing operation iscompleted. I

5. The combination with a pair of casting devices and a finishing'deviceswinging on an axis from one to the other to receive the productsthereof alternately, of a motor carried by the finishing machine, ashaving shaft on th finishing machine connected with the motor to beoperated thereby, a

traversing device for the finishin machine a clutch connectionforthrowing the traversing device in and out of operation'and reversing it,means for throwing the clutch into neutral position automatically beforethe shaving shaft has completed its entire revolution, a starting switchfor the motor, and means connected with the clutch shifting derice forthrowing the switch in when the clutch is connected.

6. The combination with a casting device and a movable finishing device,of a motor carried by .the finishing machine, a shaving shaft on thefinishing machine connected with the motor to be operated thereby, atraversing device for the finishing machine connected with the shavingshaft to be operated thereby and havinga clutch connection for throwingit in and out of operation and reversing it, a stationary stop adjacentto the casting device, and a clutch shifting device having an arm inposition to engage said stop at the-end of the strolzeof the finishingmachine for throwing the clutch into neutral p'o sition before theshaving shaft has completed its entire revolution.

'Z. The combination with a pair of casting devices and a finishingdevice movable from one to the other to receive the products there- :;faitcrnately, of a motor carried by. the finishing machine, a shavingshaft on the finishing machine connected with the motor to be operatedthereby, a. traversing device for the finishing machine connected withthe shaving shaft to be operated thereby and having a clutch connectionfor throwing it in and out of operation and reversing it, a bellcrankfor V shiftlng the clutch, a rod transverse to an arm of the bell-crankhaving means for engaging said arm and turning the bell-crank, and twolevers, one at each side of the finishing machine connected'with saidrod for shifting it by hand.

8. The combination with a pair of casting devices and a finishing devicemovable from one to the other to receive the products thereofalternately, of a motor carried by the finishing machine, a shavingshaft on the finishing machine connected with a motor to be operatedthereby, a traversing device for the finishing machine connected withthe shaving shaft to" be operated thereby and having a clutch connectionfor throwing it in and out ,of operation and reversing it, a bell-.crank for shifting the clutch, a rod'transverse to an arm of thebell-crank having means thereon forengaging said arm and turning thebell-crank, two levers, one at each side of the finishing machineconnectedwith said rod for shifting it by hand, and apair of stops, eachof whichis in position to engage the arm when the finishing machinereaches the end of its traverse so that the finishing machine will be inits final delivering position before the finishing operation iscompleted.

9. The combination with a casting device and a movablefinishing device,of a shaving shaft on the finishing machine, a traversing device for thefinishing machine connected with the shaving shaft to be operatedthereby and having a clutch connection for throwing it in and out ofoperation, a bell-crank for shifting the clutch, a rod having means forengaging the arm of the bell-crank and turning it, av lever at the sideof the finishing machine for shifting said rod by hand, and a pair ofarms having lugs thereon for preventing'the operation of the shiftingmeans except when they are turned out of the way.

10. The combination with a single movable finishing machine and aplurality of casting' devices cooperating therewith, of means for movingthe finishing machine while en- 1 gaged in finishing a plate from aposition in alignment with one casting device to a position in alignmentwith another, and means for continuing the operation of the finishingmechanism afterwards.

11. The combination with two casting deintersecting, of a finishingmachine pivoted to swing about the line of intersection as an axis, means for traversing the finishing mechanism through the are from onecasting device to the other while in the operation of finishing a plate.i

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

vices arranged with their longitudinalv axes HENRY aWrsnwoon. a

